China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) announced on Sunday that the secondary development project of the Liuhua Oilfield, the Chinese mainland's first deepwater oilfield, has fully commenced operation. 🚀
Located in the Pearl River Mouth Basin offshore Guangdong, Liuhua is the largest offshore reef limestone oilfield in geological reserves. Since its startup in 1996, it's pumped over 20 million tonnes of crude oil.
But about 140 million tonnes remain buried under 305-meter-deep waters. To tap these, CNOOC launched its secondary development across two sections—Liuhua 11-1 and Liuhua 4-1—featuring 32 new production wells.
Since the first wells came online in September 2024, daily output has climbed to a record 3,900 tonnes of crude oil ⛽, a major milestone in mastering complex deepwater drilling technology.
- 32 production wells at ~305m depth
- Daily output up to 3,900 tonnes
- Unlocking 140 million tonnes of reserves
This boost not only strengthens energy security for the Chinese mainland but also showcases advances in offshore tech that could inspire other energy players from Mumbai to Manila. 🌏
For young professionals eyeing the future of energy, Liuhua's success highlights how cutting-edge engineering and smart reservoir management can unlock massive resources—even in extreme environments.
Reference(s):
China's first deepwater oilfield hits full secondary production
cgtn.com
